


Beasthood, Humanity, and Assorted Monstrosities

by scrawly_times



Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: Alfred is now also a beast, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gender-Neutral Hunter (Bloodborne), Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Pining, The Hunter is a beast... kinda, Whump, alfred's not here right now please wait 5-10 business days, did i mention the first chapter is just like solid whump and angst and the main reason I wrote this?, mindfuckery associated with beastly transformations, so much pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:07:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrawly_times/pseuds/scrawly_times
Summary: Of all the atrocities Kade had seen, witnessed, and been through, it was always the evils committed by humanity that were the worst. Alfred was so kind, so sweet- so fierce in protecting them. They never thought he could do such things. Kade had even dared to hope that he truly would never hurt them. They were... wrong. But kind, sweet Alfred was ever so good at destroying himself.Alfred turns beastly, the Good Hunter struggles, and Djura gets to ramble about his studies on beast behavior and memory retention. Only Djura really enjoys the fallout.
Relationships: Alfred/The Hunter (Bloodborne), Djura & The Hunter (Bloodborne)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	1. Oof Ouch My Bones

**Author's Note:**

> here i am YET AGAIN disappearing for months and proceeding to ignore my many popular, in demand fics in favor of a shiny new fandom! 
> 
> This is semi-inspired by Beast's Embrace by Aster_Writes_Here, and I mean semi as in the basic concept is one lots of us seem to have shared - Alfred goes beasty, Hunter takes care of them, good times are had. I... definitely take it down a sadder, more violent route. (: Also y'all should read that fic it's good, I've reread it like,,, eight times. Don't worry though! I take this to the Comfort side of Hurt/Comfort eventually! 
> 
> Kade (our Good Hunter) is a character who actually belongs to a good friend of mine who helps me brainstorm and rp and puts up with my shit attention span sdjfhfkdjg here's to u Kai 
> 
> Alfred and Kade are not pre-established, but they have been Pining bad. Trust me.

Alfred was furious. 

No. He was _beyond_ furious, sending his holy Wheel into the face of every filthy Vileblood beast he could see. Crushing them. Turning them into bloody pulps, their overgorged stomachs bursting like the bloodsucking ticks they were. 

_“Master, look! I’ve done it! I’ve done it! I smashed and pounded and grounded this rotten siren into fleshy pink pulp!”_

Cainhurst’s vile Queen was a helpless writhing mess but the rest of the castle was infested with her spawn. And it was now Alfred’s sacred duty to clear these grounds. To rid the world of their corruption and filth. 

That it helped release some of the burning rage locked within him certainly helped. 

_“There, you filthy monstrosity! What good’s your immortality now?! Try stirring up trouble in this sorry state!”_

Alfred saw one of the filthy bloodlickers try to come at him from the side. With an efficient spin he sent the edge of his Logarius Wheel into its head, crushing it. The beast let out a mangled cry before falling under the wheel’s weight with a gurgle. 

_“All mangled and twisted, with every inside on the outside for all the world to see! Ha ha ha-!”_

_“Alfred?”_

He snarled when he spotted a massive beast rising from the shadows and gave a mighty heave of the wheel. It flew through the air into the monster’s swollen stomach, sending blood splattering across the snow. He could hear the cracking as it crushed the thing’s spine. 

It had already been an hour, perhaps? Time passed completely unknown to him. He only had thought for the righteous crusade he undertook. 

_“Oh-! Kade! My hunter friend- look at this! Thanks to you, I’ve done it..!”_

_“Alfred-”_

_“Isn’t it wonderful? Now Master can-”_

_“N-no. No it’s not?”_

Alfred had underestimated how many of the foul things lurked around the castle. It seemed that there were nonstop waves of them. Getting _into_ the castle had been a simple matter of killing the ones in his way and barging through before any could stop him. Easy enough when one was fresh and full of vigor. 

Exterminating all the remaining filth was turning out to be a lot more than one man could handle, no matter his fervor. 

_“What- what?”_

_“Alfred- Alfred this- this is disgusting! It’s- it’s horrible!” A hand pointing at the writhing flesh. “How c-could you do this- do this to someone?”_

_“It’s only what she deserves, the foul, monstrous beast she is-”_

_Kade drew back with a wounded sound that went straight through Alfred’s chest like a bullet._

_“This is- this is about her b-being a beast?”_

Alfred drew his kirkhammer from his back, wheel too far away to retrieve now and too many beasts around to risk it. There were four more here that he could see. Plenty more he could hear clicking and gurgling disgustingly past the faint whistle of the snowstorm blowing around the courtyard. 

He charged forwards to battle with a courageous shout. 

_“Kade, no, I didn’t mean- she’s not like- you’re_ **_different_ ** _and-” Why now did his oft praised silver tongue fail him?_

_“No.” Kade’s furious eyes over the edge of their mask nearly glowed red. “Am I mon-monstrous, to you? Am I just- just a beast?” Their normal stutter hardened, cutting him like the jagged edges of a saw._

_“No! You’re not!” Alfred took a step forward and Kade flinched._

_Kade flinched away. From_ **_him._ **

_“Alfred- just-” Kade’s arms wrapped around themself and Alfred felt the imaginary bullet in his chest twist and turn. A knife, then. Digging into his lungs. “...don’t. I ki- I kill… I kill things that are tr-trying to kill me. I don’t… I don’t_ **_torture_ ** _them, and leave- leave them to die. O-or… not die… wh-whatever...” Kade mumbled the last bit under their breath, kicking the ground._

_They turned around before he could respond and began to walk out of the throne room._

_“So you’ll leave me, then?” Alfred yelled after them. Desperate, rash. “For a beast- for a_ **_Vileblood_ ** _who caused all this destruction?! All these twisted souls left to wander this castle?!”_

_Kade didn’t turn around. They kept walking. He couldn’t tell if it was a trick of his imagination but it looked like their shoulders tightened._

_“FINE THEN!” He screamed. “LEAVE ME! LEAVE ME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ALWAYS HAS!” Alfred threw his Wheel so hard into the Vileblood Queen’s remains that she splashed across the floor, flesh splattering yards away. “My family, my Master, my brothers-in-arms- You can leave as well! I don’t need ANYONE! My purpose has been fulfilled! I can rest easy knowing my life has been full!”_

_Alfred threw his arms out, laughing wildly. Laughing to hide the tears he could feel building in his eyes. Laughing to ignore the pain in his chest as the knife was twisted into spear, piercing him through and bleeding him dry. Ripping his heart out the back._

Alfred took a knee next to his kirkhammer, muscles burning. 

He’d fought his way out of the Queen’s Chambers, down the yard, through the courtyard. It was as if every monster in this castle knew their damned Queen had been mutilated and was trying to get their unholy revenge. It was unending. 

A beast hissed nearby and he whipped the sword out of the kirkhammer’s rock, slashing the thing’s face open with the blade to give his tired arms a break from the weapon’s full weight. He could normally throw his wheel or the hammer around easily but his strength was beginning to falter. He couldn’t keep up. 

He panted, holding the sword in front of him to warn off the beasts following up their brethren. Alfred’s eyes flicked around the white yard. Which way was it to the carriage, again? He couldn’t keep this up. He needed… he needed to regroup, yes, and gather his strength. No sense in dying before he’d cleared every last Vileblood beast from Cainhurst’s halls. 

But there was snow flying everywhere and little visibility. The towering buildings all looked the same when blanketed in ice and snow. He couldn’t remember which direction he’d come from when he arrived, so maddened by bloodlust as he’d been. 

It didn’t help that Alfred’s vision was blurry and getting blurrier by the moment. He wiped at his face, praying to his Master that it was merely snow flying in his eyes. Praying that it wasn’t what he already knew it was. Praying it was the fog from his breath misting his vision. 

His moment of distraction meant a beast tackling him from his blind spot, Alfred toppling over and barely keeping a grasp on his sword. He barely caught the beast against the chest with the flat of the blade. Its tongue curled out, moaning horribly as the crimson tube shot towards Alfred’s face. He turned his head away from it with a disgusted snarl, twisted the blade to cut into its shrunken skin. 

The bloodlicker was too strong to throw off, as tired as he was. Alfred did his best but it slammed a hand over a shoulder with supernatural strength for something so emaciated. A disturbing grinding and cracking came from his shoulder. 

His mouth opened in a pained yell and the damned thing’s tongue shot into his _mouth._ He coughed and hacked, choking on it as the appendage writhed and forced its way down his throat. He could feel the beast’s foul blood spilling across his chest as his sword dug into it but its limbs were too long and it held his arms down. His sword fell uselessly to the side and he struggled in its grasp. 

The bloodlicker let out a ferocious hiss and Alfred’s gag reflex went off as the tongue went further down his throat than anything that thick ought to. He gagged, bile coming up, the bloodlicker making a clicking sound and withdrawing its tongue. 

Alfred gagged, trying to suck in frigid air despite how much it burned. The bloodlicker shook its head violently. His bile dripped from its tongue and he spat at the beast above him. So the damned thing didn’t like the taste of his vomit? It shouldn’t have stuck its tongue down his fucking throat! Alfred tried to shove the thing off yet again but his shoulder was definitely damaged, pain shooting through him as the beast put more weight on it. 

He screamed furiously at the beast. The bloodlicker actually drew back slightly, tongue dripping out of its disgusting mouth. It cocked its head at him, hissing. 

Then it leaned forwards and jabbed its tongue into his neck. Alfred screamed in pain, hands struggling to reach the damned thing, to pull it out. He could _feel_ it piercing his flesh and finding his veins. Wriggling through his neck and further down, down down down- towards his chest. Towards his heart. 

Alfred choked, eyes rolling up in his head in a panic. He tried to shove the thing off again. It only yanked at his neck, pulling the tongue and pulling _everything in his chest gods it hurt so much-_

More hissing, more clicking, movement around him. He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t think. All he knew was he could feel the thing’s foul tongue slithering inside his veins and wiggling into his heart. Could feel his heartbeat stutter and hiccup as his blood was sucked right out. 

More piercing across his body. Digging through his robes. Piercing into his chest, wiggling through his ribs and his stomach and make it stop- 

Alfred’s vision whited out, flickering. He screamed. He couldn’t stop screaming. 

He could hear clicking and hissing of bloodlickers surrounding him, feeding off of him. He could hear the roar of the snowstorm. The roaring… the roaring was growing… 

Pain. Agony. Ripping through his bones and muscles. 

Alfred lashed out with his arm and sent the bloodlickers flying like pins. He snarled, standing up. His arm was too long. He was too weak to do that before, how..? 

He shouldn’t be distracted, should flee, but he couldn’t help but look to his arm in a daze. 

His glove was in pieces, scraps of studded armor hardly hanging on. Hair sprouted from his flesh. His hand was large, twisted, claws coming from the ends of his swollen fingers. 

“No… not… not yet…” His voice sounded wrong. Twisted. _(Where was the roar of the storm?)_

A beast scratched at his side and Alfred learned the storm wasn’t roaring, he was. He lashed out at it and sent it flying. 

When he snarled at the beast it wasn’t a human sound he made. A sobbing growl followed as he clutched at his face with his beastly arm. Alfred was so tired. But he couldn’t rest yet. Not until he’d completed his mission. _(Not until he’d apologized.)_

Another beast jumped on his back and he fell to his knees, struggling to reach behind him and rip it off. His robes were tighter than they should be. _(Weren’t they usually loose on him..?)_

Alfred forced himself up to his feet. He had to go. Had to… had to leave… where? Where did he have to go? _(Where did he have_ **_left_ ** _to go?)_

He whimpered and this time when he reached back behind him his arm snapped out long enough to rip the thing off. Its tongue was torn out of him with a ripping sort of pain and he faintly realized every piercing hole they’d made in him was bleeding and hurting and itching. It hurt. So bad. It hurt all the way down his neck and through his insides, itching, making him want to rip himself apart just to make it stop. 

Alfred’s legs cracked. Muscle and tendon broke and he howled in pain. Blood splashed around his feet and he felt the torn remnant of his boots fall off. He took a few steps forward on unsteady feet. He was cold. So cold, so tired… 

Dizzy. Dizzy… too much blood. Alfred shook his head, feeling… feeling something flying around his face. His hair wasn’t that long, was it? _(Why did his head hurt so badly?)_ When he raised his hand to his head he saw the blood dripping down his hair, dripping in front of his eyes, turning the blond hair into crimson strings. 

His head grew heavy, skull cracking and swelling. His brain was compressed and squeezed and being ripped apart. It was so painful it was almost a relief as it peaked and blood _poured_ down his face. He stumbled and fell to his knees. 

The bloodlickers hesitated around him, circling him, seeming wary. 

Alfred snarled at them. His mouth was too long. He closed his eyes and shook his head, confused, hurting. His head was far too heavy. He couldn’t stand back up on his feet. Much easier to just walk on his paws… _(What happened to his hands?)_

One of the beasts approached, swollen belly swaying underneath it. It cocked its head and crouched, ready to pounce. 

It took only one clawed hand to swipe it out of the air and slam it into the ground in a similar way he had been not too long ago. Alfred’s lips peeled back and he dug his snout into the thing’s belly, ignoring its shrieking and hissing. The other bloodlickers scattered with a chorus of gurgling sounds. 

He paid them no attention, only caring for the sweet, smooth blood spilling around him like a burst balloon. He licked and chewed and tore into the beast’s flesh hungrily. It’s stomach was just a skin filled with delicious blood. As much as he could drink until his jaws bumped into the inside of the thing’s spine in his search for _more._

He raised his head, seeing the thing had stopped its fussing a while ago. Blood spilled across the snow around him. A daring bloodlicker crouched at the very edge, tongue flicked out to its maximum length to sip up the rapidly freezing fluid. 

Alfred snarled. It scattered with a series of clicks and hisses. 

He was cold. So cold. Hungry, too, and tired. Very tired. His shoulder still hurt. Most of him still hurt. 

He looked to the rest of the beast’s body but it was cooling and the flesh and bone didn’t appeal to him. He needed blood. He wanted blood. _Needed it._

Faintly, he was aware he was turned. Faintly Alfred knew he’d lost too much blood of his own and even for a beast he’d nearly been drained dry. He was dying. What little strength and adrenaline the transformation gave him was rapidly waning. 

But mostly all he was aware of was the painful weariness in his limbs, the wounds crossing his body. The hunger in his belly. The freezing air sticking ice and snow to his fur. 

He shook himself, snow flying. He wanted out of the cold. He wanted food. _(Needed to rest.)_

Alfred stood up from his crouched position around the already cold body and looked around. Buildings. Cover. He could sleep there. He’d be safe there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope y'all enjoyed! Lemme know if you liked and maybe we'll see if I can find the energy to post the follow up where Kade comes back (:


	2. Hewwo?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kade and Alfred reunite. It's... difficult. Alfred is tired and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip Alfred and Rip Kade 
> 
> This chapter is funny and sad and funnysad
> 
> It also takes place... oh, a couple days after the first chapter?

He didn’t know how long passed out in the snow and cold. He knew time passed both quickly and slowly to his tired mind. 

He was cold. Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. 

Alfred licked at the snow to try and soothe the raging thirst, whining. It just made his tongue numb. 

He was curled up in the small corner he'd found and claimed. Just a corner where most of the wind and snow didn't blow. His. His to keep and protect. He was too tired to go out and find food. It was too cold. Even his thick fur couldn't block out the cold that came from inside. 

And he was… ill. _(He thought. It was hard to tell, with how scrambled his thoughts were.)_ He scratched and itched and tore at himself, ripping fur and flesh aside, trying to stop the dreadful burning _itch._ In his chest, his neck, his belly. It was driving him insane. His insides shouldn't burn and shudder from the cold at the same time. It made no sense. It hurt to think about. _(Lots of things hurt to think about…)_

Occasionally one of the bloody beasts - delicious, food, tasty, easy prey - approached his corner. They didn't live very long if they got very close. He was so, so thirsty. 

A noise. Faint. On the edges of his hearing. 

_"Alfreeed!"_

What was that? _(Why did that word make his head hurt?)_

 _"Alfred! Are you out there?!"_

He stood up slowly, wondering why his head started to scream in pain at the word. The voice. _(Why bother getting up? Why did he feel like he needed to?)_

His legs shook as he forced himself to walk. He growled, seeing a figure different from the bloody beasts he fed on. This one was smaller. Standing up. Wrapped in leather. 

He caught a hint of its smell through the wind. 

Blood. Hunter. Beast. Monster. _Other._

He snarled, backing away. That smell was- this wasn't a hunter. Not a beast. Something else. Something that made his hackles raise. 

The hunter's head whipped towards him, readying a weapon in their hands. A stick with a sharp end. Somehow he knew it could still hurt him from far away. _(A riflespear.)_

He growled and shrunk back. His head hurt. So much. _(Why? Why did they make his head hurt?)_

The hunter approached cautiously and he kept trying to keep his distance until he found himself trapped in his corner. He curled up, feeling some deep emotion welling up though he couldn't tell _why._ Shame. Embarrassment. 

**_(Why?)_ **

"Ex-excuse me..?" The hunter approached still, smelling nervous. "You- you… oh. O-oh gods." Their weapon fell from their hands and they reached out to him. "Alfred?" 

The word made him flinch and grab his head, a spike of pain shooting through his skull. _(Why did that_ **_hurt_ ** _so much?)_

"Oh gods." The hunter made a sobbing noise that made his chest burn. "Al-Alfred, Alfred I'm s-so sorry, I shouldn't ha- shouldn’t have left you-" 

He growled, slamming his paws over his head. Stop. Stop stop stop- it hurt to think, it hurt to… to _remember._

"Alfred? D-do you re-remember me?" 

Stop! He whined, shuddering, itching, feeling sick and weak and cold and he didn't want to _remember_ because it was _so hard._

"Hey." A hand. On his arm. He stiffened up with a whine, jerking away. "Hey… it's okay, I'm not- not gonna hurt you." Soft voice. Gentle. Scared. _(Soothing?)_ He couldn’t help but relax a bit. "Do you remember me? My name is Kade. Do you remember that?" 

The hand pet his arm gently. 

"K…" His throat constricted, didn't want to make these sounds. "K-Kayy…" Why was that word familiar? _(Why did it hurt too?)_

"Y-yes, that's right, K-Kade. I'm Kade. An- And you're Alfred." 

Alfred? He whimpered. His claws dug into his head as it stabbed with throbbing pain. 

Yes… yes, that… that sounded right… 

He lowered his paws, whining and looking at the hunter. His vision was so bad- he could hardly see anything but fuzzy blurs. Especially with the snow blinding him. He chuffed, sniffing deeply. 

The hunter didn't protest when he shoved his nose into their chest, trying to get a better smell past the blood and dirt that covered them. That smell was definitely… oh. 

_Oh._

Alfred melted, scooting closer to the hunter. His tail thumped slowly. He whined, trying to wiggle closer. 

Kade. _Kade._ The very name made his chest swell and his hackles raise at the same time. His ears pressed down without knowing why. 

The hunter hugged his neck, sobbing loudly. "A-Alfred I'm s- I'm sorry I sh-shouldn't have left you-" 

He ignored their words, just trying to puzzle through the contradicting feelings he had. He knew Kade. Yes. Kade was good. _(Kade was precious.)_ But thinking about Kade made his heart ache and he didn't know why. 

"Whh... whhyyyy…" Alfred wasn't sure how he was talking, because beasts didn't talk. 

...did they? He… couldn't remember… _(One beast spoke to him all the time.)_

"Alfred?" Kade leaned back, stiff. "Wh-why what?" 

"Hhhh… hhurrr….ss…" He scratched at his head again, shaking himself. 

"Hey… no, don't scratch yourself…" Kade grabbed one of his fingers, tugging his paw down. Their eyes looked across his body and widened. "Y- you're- covered! In blood! A-Alfred!" Their hands went to some of the gashes across his chest and he ripped himself away with a snarl. 

Much to his surprise, Kade snarled back. He was so shocked by it he didn't stop them as they gingerly tried sorting his blood clotted fur apart to look at his injuries. A minute later when he'd gathered himself Alfred growled lowly, trying to back away. His hindquarters bumped into the wall. 

"No, le-let me look at th- at these, they look- they look so bad!" Kade fretted loudly. "What happened t-to you? These look- they look like…" Kade looked down to his claws, seeing the blood and fur stuck under his claws. "O-oh Alfred…" Kade's eyes watered. "Did- were you- Alfred." 

They grabbed one of his massive paws, bringing it up to hug it to their chest. They were crying. 

Alfred whined, leaning in close. He licked at their face cautiously. _(Kade shouldn't cry.)_

"B- urrrns… hurrr… c- can't-" He huffed, whining and shifting. His other paw came up to try scratching his chest. It itched and burned deep inside. 

"St-stop it!" Kade grabbed at his paw but he lunged away, shuddering. "Alfred, n-no! C-come back here!" They jumped at him with a frustrated growl and Alfred continued to avoid them. 

He backed away and was going to run for it but stopped. _(He didn't want to run away from Kade.)_ Why? It was maddening, doing things and feelings things and not knowing _why._

Alfred _was_ far enough away he could claw at his chest, trying to chase that itching away. At least if it was _hurting_ it was better than the itching. 

"A-Alfred!" Kade ran around in front of him, looking lost. "What- what's wrong? What's burning?" They placed a hand on his arm and he moaned. 

Words. Words were so… _hard._ It was like something in his head just wouldn't spit them out. He knew what Kade was saying, mostly, but speaking? Why was it so _hard?_ And his mouth made it hard on top of it. 

Alfred shook his head, growling lowly. Kade gave an answering growl and his head jerked. 

Right. Kade wasn't human either. _(He forgot that sometimes.)_

...when did he forget? Why did it feel like he knew them for a long time? What couldn't he _remember?_

"C-come on, Alfred, let's- let me take you to Old Yharnam, o-okay?" Kade looked at him pleadingly and Alfred knew he'd follow them anywhere. 

He huffed, leaning in to lick their face. He rumbled contentedly deep in his chest. What little of Kade's cheeks he could see under the mask turned bright red. 

"O-okay!" Kade turned around rapidly, Alfred tilting his head in confusion. "Come on- we can go- I-I know the way- c-come on-" They continued to sputter, walking away. 

Alfred followed slowly, not happy about leaving his corner. Even if he would follow Kade anywhere he didn't want to leave what little safety and warmth he had. 

The walk was hard. Alfred was tired and in pain and hungry. Kade was very small, making it difficult for them to struggle through the snow. But Alfred didn't know where they were going and every time Kade tried to go to his side Alfred stopped moving, confused. 

At least the bloody beasts left them alone. Kade wasn't human enough for them to much care about them and Alfred was more than enough to ensure they kept their distances. He was big and they knew how dangerous trying to get close to him was. 

But the longer they trudged through the snow the more tired Alfred got, slowing down. His legs felt very heavy. 

"Alfred? C-come on, we're almost to the carriage… I-I dunno if you'll _fit_ in the c-carriage but- but we can try… Alfred?" 

He blinked slowly. Kade patted his snout gently, then rougher. 

"C-come on, no way you're that cold, n-not with all that- all that fur!" Kade laughed nervously. "Are you okay? A-Alfred?" 

He decided he liked it when they said his name, even if it hurt his head to think about it. He huffed a breath of air into their face and groaned. 

"Tirrre…" His paws stumbled a bit in the snow, toes numb. 

"Oh man, oh man you must've- oh geez, you do look like you've lost a-a _lot_ of blood, oh no…" Kade scratched his chin and he closed his eyes happily, leaning into it. "No sirree! Nope, n-nope, no sleeping!" He drew back with a start when his nose was pinched, lips curling back. "Come on, y-you can sleep when we- when we get to Old Yharnam, o-okay?" 

They took a few steps, urging Alfred along. He sighed wearily and trudged after them. He really wanted to just go lay down and curl up in his corner again. 

When an old rotting carriage appeared through the snow Alfred squinted. The horses weren't real. They had no smell, he couldn't sense anything from them. He chuffed unhappily. It was… unnerving. 

"Shh, i-it's okay, just-" Kade looked back and forth between Alfred and the carriage. They were… the same size. "Oh gods I-I hope this works or you're _really_ not- not gonna like me…" 

Alfred watched bemused as Kade climbed up the back of the carriage onto the top. Then they turned around and patted their thighs like they were calling a dog. 

"Um, come on Alfred! C-climb up! ...please?" 

Alfred gave them an unimpressed look, squinting unhappily at the boxy carriage. He rumbled to show his displeasure. Kade rubbed their forehead. 

It took several minutes for Alfred to understand that _yes,_ Kade wanted him to sit on top of the strange carriage with not real horses _(that were really familiar…)_ and _yes_ they were going to stand there and bother him until he did. With a great big huff Alfred began the unsteady climb. 

It was difficult solely because Alfred was the same size as the carriage and trying to climb on top it made the thing creak and tilt all over the place. When he finally managed to climb to the top he was forced to cling on with all four paws. The decorations on top of the thing poked into his bloody chest, making him growl and snap when Kade tried to pat him. 

"I-I'm sorry, I know i-it's uncom-comfortable, b-but this is the only way back…" 

Kade hopped down and Alfred almost followed them when they got inside and the carriage _lurched._ Then he was more occupied with clinging to the moving box for dear life and howling. His paws were not good at gripping. His fur was pinched and the things kept poking him and he was _tired_ and _cold_ and _hungry_ and he let everything know it, wailing and crying the whole way. 

He didn't know when, but at some point he closed his eyes and the next time he opened them the air wasn't as cold and… where..? He stopped his whimpering just to sit there, staring with wide eyes, trying to figure out where the hell he was. 

When the carriage stopped moving he didn't even try to hop off, mind struggling to wrap around the change in scenery. Kade was quick to hop out and urge him down. He ignored them for a good ten minutes before giving in and jumping down. 

He landed on them, of course, knocking them down and laying down immediately. Kade splattered and cried out as he planted his head on their chest with a whine. 

"A-Alfred!! Oh my g-gods this is-" Kade pulled their mask up to cover their eyes, though he knew somehow that they were red again. "Alfred you're- I'm sorry, th-that was probably really f-freaky a-and I'm sorry I made you do it, b-but please get off me? Y-you're really heavy a-and I can't breathe…" 

Alfred huffed, not budging an inch. He was shaking. Trembling, mind unable to grasp how he'd been in a place of bright white snowstorms and was now in a clear night in a place that smelled completely different. It didn’t hurt his mind but it made his head spin and he didn't know why but it _scared him._ Where did he go? _(How did it happen?)_

Why when he looked around did he no longer see the carriage and horses? Alfred whined and nuzzled into Kade. Help. Help him, please. He couldn't think but Kade could. Kade made things better. _(How did he know that?)_

Kade softened and hugged his head. "I know, I-I know, it's spooky a-and you don't understand wh-what's happening. J-just- we gotta keep moving, okay?" Kade stroking his snout made Alfred close his eyes with a pleased rumble. "Alfred!" They poked his nose, exasperated. "C-come on, we need to go." 

With a great big sigh Alfred stood up. At least with no snow it would be easier to walk. 

It was a _lot_ easier to walk, but the first dead body they passed by… Alfred was so, so hungry, and there was _food._ He only noticed Kade standing by his side smelling of misery after he'd mostly devoured the thing left in the street. 

He looked up, tilting his head at them. Alfred whined. He felt like he'd done something wrong. But he didn't know what. 

"I-it's okay, let's just… keep going." Kade said quietly. They patted his side. 

Alfred followed but not before looking back down at the remains of his meal. What did he do wrong? He couldn’t think. He knew he'd done _something_ wrong but- but trying to focus hurt. He whined and shuffled after Kade, guilt in his full belly. 

The rest of the walk was long. Alfred’s paws were scraping the ground by the time they approached a massive set of doors. He'd snarled at quite a few beasts on the way, fur bristling. Kade had taken care of the few that were suicidal enough to try attacking a beast his size. He hadn't even had to do anything but sit there and growl. 

Kade sighed in relief, pushing the doors open. Alfred sniffed the air uncertainly. It smelled like smoke and beasts. 

"Come on, Alfred, we're almost there! Just a bit further!" Kade promised. "Djura!" They walked through the doors fearlessly. Alfred followed with a wary huff. 

"Who- Kade?" Alfred jumped when the voice echoed over the rooftops. "Brought me another one? Bring 'em down to the usual!" 

Kade waved in the air cheerfully, Alfred looking around spooked. _(Where did that voice come from?)_ But he followed Kade nervously across wooden platforms and rooftops. Too many beasts around. All of them curious and coming to see them. 

Alfred snarled and snapped at any that tried to get close, but oddly enough Kade didn't jump to a fight here. He was confused. 

"I-it's okay, Alfred, they're okay." Kade patted his side. 

He slouched behind them unhappily, growling at the beasts that refused to back away and came up to sniff Kade. 

_(His.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep cracking up imagining Alfred on the top of the carriage just "AWOWOWOOOOWOO" you know like dogs do when they're being dramatic af? Yeah. Yeah. 
> 
> Kade is gonna cry 
> 
> Tbh, considering the situation, Kade's lucky Alfred’s even up and walking at this point

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope y'all enjoyed! Lemme know if you liked and have a nice day!


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